Goodnight, Baby Good Morning, Hot Stuff
by Yunno
Summary: When Black Velvet shows up again, the Loonatics must take her on, but Ace fears that Tech is taking the assignment a little too personally. Yep, you can tell by the title. TechxBlack Velvet fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Loonatics Unleashed:

"Goodnight, Baby. Good Morning, Hot Stuff."

(This story is post "The World is My Circus.")

Rated T for Fluffiness.

Disclaimer: Loonatics Unleashed and related Characters and Elements are trademarks of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

The doors leading into the rest of the base slid closed behind them as Rev dragged Tech into the kitchen area. Rev considered locking it.

" . . . no, Dr. Zane used a type of DNA methylation to turn off and on DNA sequences in the Fuz-Zs triggered by the theobromine alkaloids in chocolate." Tech continued his conversation started in the lab. "Which, as you know also has physiological effects on the body. And while it has health benefits for people, it has toxic properties to certain animals like cats and dogs. Unfortunately, in Fuz-Zs it triggered their mutations."

"Please, we're trying to eat here!" Danger Duck complained from his seat at the breakfast table. It was hard enough to choke down his dried out, slightly burned toast without techno-babble threatening him with indigestion. The rest of the teams' eyes glazed over as well, not comprehending the conversation. He and Lexi had the toasted raisin bread, though Lexi had insisted on toasting her own. Ace had the waffles with maple syrup. While Slam had the bananas, the orange slices, the biscuits and gravy, the muesli, the pancakes with current jelly, and the scrambled eggs with rye toast.

"And-so-should-you,-Tech. Just-because-you-CAN-go-extended-periods-of-time-without-food-or-sleep,-doesn't-mean-you-SHOULD! . . .-and-I-don't-care-if-you-have-molecular-regeneration-or-not,-it-is-no-substitute-for-the-real-thing." Rev put as much force in his words as he could muster, but though he and the coyote had become good friends, best friends even, since the team formed, he felt more like the kid brother trying to straighten out his older sibling. Awkwardly, he nudged Tech toward the table. "Eat! Lack-of-food-makes-you-cranky-and-you-certainly-have-had-a-lack-of-that;-when-was-the-last-time-you-ate-an-actual-meal-anyway?"

Tech took a step toward the table, but stopped suddenly as an idea struck. Turning abruptly the genius rushed back to the lab. Or would have had Rev not tackled him down. The two tumbled a couple of times with the momentum. "Oh-no-you-don't! You-get-way-too-irascible,-stubborn,-unreasonable,-obstinate,-contrary,-and-all-together-bullheaded;-even-more-than-you-usually-are,-when-you-skip-too-many-meals."

Tech glared at Rev who grinned sheepishly and let him up with an apologetic sort of shrug. Tech grumped a bit as he climbed to his feet, but the wide, innocent roadrunner eyes had done their work and he couldn't be too angry. "I am not bullheaded, coyote-headed maybe . . .."

Tech snagged a bite of Lexi's breakfast, not bothering to dial up his own.

"Oh come on! How hard is it to turn the select knob!" Lexi stated as the coyote snatched a bit of toast from Danger as well.

Tech pulled a face, muttering. "Looks like I need to fix the toaster again. What do you keep doing to it, Duck?"

"Ew! Coyote cooties!" Danger looked in disgust at the slice of raisin toast that Tech handed back to him.

"Actually not," Tech replied. "My molecular regeneration ensures a healthy immune system that not only quickly eliminates most germs that I might pick up from you guys, but generally also prevents me from having any type of illness to spread to others."

"Huh, makes sense." Ace brought up his guardian sword, extending the blade as Tech approached. Their eyes briefly met and Tech moved on. The scientist didn't even want breakfast, let alone fight his leader for it. Ace retracted the blade and turned back to his waffles, thinking.

"Kkrrnkkrrn, Tech." Slam offered part of his breakfast to Tech, taking it out of his mouth to do so.

"Uh, no thanks, Slam." Tech eyed the banana dripping with saliva. "I prefer to digest my own." Slam shrugged and popped it back into his mouth.

Rev smirked, his eyes laughing at his friends. He handed Tech one of his specially made super booster pick-me-up shakes that he had made while the coyote was snitching food from the others. Tech took a swallow then handed it back to the roadrunner, but Rev pushed it back. The speedster stubbornly crossed his arms across his chest. "Nope,-you-drink-the-whole-thing-and-you're-not-getting-out-of-it."

"Come off it, Rev. I really need to finish this project while it is still fresh in my mind." Tech rubbed his temple, not quite up to dealing with the roadster's enthused determination. The gesture did not go unnoticed by his insistent friend.

"It's-not-me,-Tech. Your-body-needs-proper-sleep-and-nutrition,-and-its-your-own-fault-that-you're-feeling-a-bit-run-down. You-can't-keep-expending-energy-without-replenishing-it." Rev rapped his friend sharply on the forehead with his finger. "Do-the-math,-genius!"

Tech sighed and sat at the table. The coyote scientist took out his palmtop to continue working while he drank his breakfast, but Rev snatched it away. Growing faintly, Tech grabbed the small computer back from the roadrunner. The quickster stood dejected, clasping his empty hands in front of him. Tech couldn't stand the roadrunner's wide, green eyes staring morosely at him and he soon relented, setting aside his computer to finish his breakfast. It was taking longer to argue with his friend than to just drink it. Rev perked up visibly and went to prepare his own food. It was too bad, Tech thought, that he'd had to impose a 'no food in the lab' restriction. It was, however, one of the most important lessons he'd learned back at the academy . . . with explosive results. He set the empty glass down with a slight thunk. "Thank you, Rev. Now, if I may be excused? . . ."

"Before ya go." Ace interrupted the scientist. Watching the coyote scavenge his breakfast had given the Loonatic leader an idea. "I been t'inkin. We're gonna all take turns fixing dinner for everyone once a week. Starting tanight."

Tech stalled, staring incredulously at the yellow tinged bunny. "But, . . . but I haven't had to do chores since I invented my first turbo vac when I was eight."

"It's not a punishment." Ace scowled when Danger muttered a comment on it being cruel and unusual punishment. "Besides, its been proven that children who eat a sit down meal with da family do better scholastically."

"In case you didn't notice, I've already graduated," Tech deadpanned.

Ace smirked and cast a sidelong glance at Danger. "I was t'inking about Duck."

"Hey! . . ."

"Well, I think it's a great idea." Lexi cut in before anymore objections could be raised. "Eating together is a good way to get in a little more team bonding time."

Slam agreed. Eating was a very social event for all Tasmanian devils and he was excited by the prospect. "Ppptttt pppttttrrhhng first?"

"Yep," Danger commented fatefully. Anything that Slam was this enthusiastic about had to be a bad idea. "Definitely cruel and unusual."

The Loonatics gathered around, extending their hands in the scientifically valid randomizing method of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors.' Seeing Slam's huge fist of a 'rock' however, the others conceded and let him go first.

Purple Triangle.

" . . . sound waves for modifying DNA like Otto the Odd's Sonic DNA Scrambler, is too nonspecific for clinical repair of damaged tissue." Tech's voice came out from under the new table that he was constructing for Slam. The coyote was currently under a large table-sized grill that made up most of the new tabletop. He handed out his welding mask and torch for Rev to take. "Rev, please hand me the electro spanner."

Ace, who stood out of the way watching the two work, wondered at the coyote's sudden interest in the life sciences. His genius' specialties were number theory, physics, and quantum mechanics with a very heavy sideline of mechanical engineering. Concern tugged the yellow tinged Loonatic's brow. Of course, lately several super villains had hit them with bio-weapons. The bunny didn't doubt that by now Tech had another doctorate degree or two in the field.

The roadrunner handed the desired wrench to Tech while picking up the conversation again. Rev hadn't much background in the life sciences. His scientific expertise ran more in the lines of the mechanical. Since this morning when he had been unable to converse with Tech on genetics, the speedster had done some quick reading up on the subject. "But-manipulating-genetics-by-shooting-microscopic-'gold-balls'-of-DNA-into-cells-via-sound-waves,-though-electrical-fields-would-be-more-effective,-usually-results-in-a-high-cell-mortality-rate. Otto's-Sonic-DNA-Scrambler-must-have-been-extraordinary."

"Very," Tech agreed."Though his genius was wasted in evil. He had even transcribed the desired zoological DNA into PNA which is a synthesized chemical similar to DNA and RNA, the more biologically stable peptide nucleic acid made crossing cellular membranes easier. Using shorter PNA-oligomers with their higher binding strength, he greatly increased the specificity of his mutations."

"Ooo-kay." Even Rev's eyes were starting to gloss over at this stage. "You-lost-me-there. Are-you-saying-that-he-used-man-made-'DNA'-to-make-us-into-Galactic-Oddities?"

Rev turned on the grill to test it out, zapping Tech in the process. Tech stumbled out from under the table.

Slam, wearing a chef's hat and apron, entered the new kitchen-dining room that Tech was designing for him. It was actually converted from one of the smaller labs that the genius wasn't using. The Tasmanian devil pushed a side cart loaded with ingredients and cooking implements in front of him. The purple tinged devil took one look at the crisp coyote and grinned. Good. Tech even tested out the grill for him.

"It's all yours, Slam." Tech's emerald glow faded as he finished regenerating. The inventor took off Rev's baseball cap that he'd worn backwards to keep the welding sparks from going down his neck. Not that the precaution had done him any good. He cast a doleful glare at Rev, but otherwise made no mention of the incident. He tossed the borrowed cap back to the roadrunner. "Essentially correct, Rev, however . . .."

Lexi shook her head as she entered the lab set aside for their dinners together. Rev's and Tech's idea of polite dinner conversation was greatly lacking. She interrupted the scientist before he could get started on a dissertation level lecture. "Okay guys, leave the lab talk in the lab. This is dinner, not Oligonucleotide Probes 701."

Rev set up the small holo-projector that Tech made for the room. A modified version of Ace's dojo routine sprang into existence surrounding the table and cooking hood over it that whisked away the steam and smoke of cooking. It gave the new Loonatic formal dining room an appropriately Japanese kitchen atmosphere for Slam's dinner. "Man-you-know-between-programming-in-the-holo-projector-and-making-the-cooking-table,-Tech's-and-my-turns-for-cooking-dinner-ought-to-be-counted-in-tonight-as-well."

"Nah, it took youse two maybe all of five minutes ta set up." Ace took his place at the table near Lexi. Danger quacked in on his other side.

Splashing oil and vinegar on the hot grill, Slam go to work. Steamed rice, eggs, vegetables, and a wide assortment of seafoods and meats soon sizzled in the center of the table. While the fried rice cooked, the Tasmanian devil sliced an onion, poking out the centers of the slices and stacking the rings largest to smallest to form a miniature volcano. He splashed in rice vinegar causing the onion 'volcano' to 'erupt' in a cloud of pungent steam. Slam bowed slightly at his teammates applause at his culinary skill. The cooking style suited the violet hued devil. He thoroughly enjoyed the wild abandon of cooking and flinging the food about. He tossed portions appropriate to his friends' tastes and preferences onto the Loonatics' plates sitting on the cool wooden border of the table, and sometimes in their pockets.

"I'm doomed." Dismayed, Danger muttered to himself, dreading when his turn to cook rolled around. "I can't even make toast."

"Hold-on-a-minute!" As they were about to eat, Rev dashed to Acme-Japan getting bamboo chopsticks for everyone. He was back before the food could get cold.

Everything smelled wonderful and tasted even better. Halfway through the meal, Zadavia's image projected in on the hologram beam.

"Loonatics, we have a problem. Black Velvet has been sighted up to her old tricks. Her shadow troops have stolen the Acme research laser modulator, and the Acmetropolis Museum of Science Ultra Prism. And now she's broken into the worldwide Acmetropolis broadcast station." Tech's eyes widened and his chopsticks dropped from his fingers. He knew what the night felon was up to. Without waiting for Ace to call them to action, the coyote dashed to his lab for his holster style utility belt that held his latest inventions.


	2. Chapter 2

Loonatics Unleashed:

"Goodnight, Baby. Good Morning, Hot Stuff." Part 2.

(This story is post "The World is My Circus.")

Rated T for Fluffiness.

Disclaimer: Loonatics Unleashed and related Characters and Elements are trademarks of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Yellow Triangle.

The Loonatics entered the darkened lobby of the broadcast station, eyes glowing red from their night vision opticals and poised for battle. Dozens of shadow-force orbs rained down through a service hatch in the ceiling bursting upon impact into masked ninja warriors. Instantly Ace had out his guardian strike sword, blocking the strikes of the blade and mace handed shadow warriors.

"Duck, Rev, get da TV station personnel outta here!" Ace didn't pause in his attack, but issued the command in midair as he drove a kick into an attacker's middle. "Lexi, Slam, with me."

Lexi and Slam formed up by Ace already heavily engaged with the enemy, while Danger quacked over to his all time favorite TV personality, Misty Breeze. The mallard reduced the Ninjizer 500 that he toted into its compact storage form and swept Misty into his arms. Ignoring his televised dream girl's harsh complaint that he was mussing her teal hair that was carefully spiked out in a 'natural' windblown style, Danger concentrated on quacking them somewhere safe. Rev snagged Rob, the dark complected field program director, and the newscast cameraman. Despite the fact that the cameraman seemed intent on filming Black Velvet and her shadow boys, Rev got them to safety. The roadster then dashed back into the broadcast station using his internal GPS to locate the rest of the station's personnel.

"Tech, I need ya ta . . .." Ace stalled and nearly got a mace in the head for his distraction. The genius was already halfway across the lobby in hot pursuit of the cloaked Lady in Black. Fear spawned anger ignited within him. What was Tech thinking?! He knew better than to take any assignment personally! If that coyote didn't get himself killed, he would do the job personally when they got back to the tower! Ace brought down his sword double fisted then followed up with a kick to drive back his attacker. The Loonatic leader sprang after his wayward scientist, but a score of ninjas blocked his path.

Tech dove, rolling under one of Velvet's shadow boys and dodging another. The red glow of the night vision opticals masked the emerald power signature of his eyes, but his hands radiated green. The coyote frowned. His magnetic power was finding no purchase on the shadow hordes. Velvet's shadow ninjas had mace and blade hands. Their weapons as well as their masks should have made them easy prey to his magnetism. Were they made of shadow? Tech's emerald glow engulfed a receptionist's chair and flung it at a shadow ninja in his way. The blade wielding warrior grunted as the chair knocked him from his feet and he landed heavily over it. Puzzled, Tech considered the anomaly. The shadow forces felt solid enough and reacted to pain. Yet they could also 'dissolve' into shadow spheres that could fly and maneuver, and even carry heavy equipment. Were they actual people who had been overcome by shadow? or solid manifestations of Velvet's shadow-force power? Not sure what they really were, Tech wished for the opportunity to study them.

Tech let his thoughts run as he dodged between the shadow hordes in pursuit of Black Velvet. Luckily for him, the ninjas seemed more interested in fighting Ace and the others who were actively attacking them, than in defending their mistress from one lone canid anthromorph. Seeing the dark lady slip into a side room, the coyote dashed past the last of the shadow ninjas. Floating just off the floor, Black Velvet faced him from across the room and Tech slowed as he entered. He'd never had to directly fight her before. "Give it up, hot stuff. We have you cornered."

"We?" Velvet asked, her voice quiet and a touch hollow sounding. A smile played at the corners of her mouth. The night lady slapped a hand against a control panel on the wall beside her and the door through which Tech just entered snicked shut behind him. "It seems to me as if it's just you."

A sinking feeling gripped the coyote. Tech scanned the dark room that he was now trapped in with his nemesis. Or one of them anyway. He groaned. "Not again."

Tech found himself in the small studio from which Misty Breeze usually broadcast when she wasn't out in the field. Large cameras, back screens, sound bafflers and a curved commentator's desk behind which anchorpersons sat while delivering the news crowded the area between him and Black Velvet. There was also a dark table that looked distinctly out of place in a newscast room. On a wall adjacent to them was a large observation window and a door that led into the studio's control room.

Tech lunged, but Velvet lithely flipped in the air, easily avoiding him. She just as easily dodged the microphone boom that he magnetically threw at her, as well as the cable with which he tried to lasso her. She returned his attack, kicking him to slam against the far wall. Grunting, Tech climbed back to his feet. The dark lady was as agile as Lexi and as skilled as Ace. Danger had his Ninjizer 500, so the coyote had to wait for reinforcements to take her down. Black Velvet flitted playfully across the studio. Tech frowned. She was toying with him! The green tinted Loonatic stopped, his feet braced wide and his arms folded across the green inverted triangle on his chest. Black Velvet smiled at his stern glare.

"Okay, baby. You did such a good job the first time; tell me what all of this is for." Black Velvet's voice was soft and low. A beautiful thing, though it held a slight echo as if coming from vast emptiness.

The anthromorph genius didn't want to play along with Black Velvet, but the coyote couldn't help but wonder at the empty existence she led, being cut off from the light, and what that kind of solitude did to a person. He spent a great deal of time alone in the lab, but at least he could come out whenever he wanted. In a voice that almost hinted at shadows Tech responded. "You plan to reroute the holovid broadcast signal through the Acme research laser modulator, refining and boosting it through the Ultra Prism to an equivalent power of the sun's corona before broadcasting the signal out to every monitor throughout Acmetropolis, thereby blinding everyone who looks at a screen."

Black Velvet's smile widened, pleased that her 'guest' 'appreciated' her scheme. She drifted closer to him, following the periphery of the broadcast studio toward the control room. "I call it the Sight Razor. I don't need to cover the world in darkness. When blinded from the light, people will bring their own night."

"So your new scheme isn't new at all." Tech threw a disapproving tone into his voice. He needed to stall her with his banter long enough for his teammates to find him. Unfortunately he didn't know how long that would take. There were an awful lot of shadow boys out there. "It's just your old one rehashed. The shadows have darkened your mind, Velvet."

"Just as I'm not like everyone else, I'm also not like other villains." There was a slight petulance to Black Velvet's voice. "So many other villains seemed to believe in 'if at first you don't succeed . . . give up.' I have the patience to try again. It might lack the element of surprise, but it does have the advantage of getting the bugs worked out. And this time, just as the first, I have you, baby."

Tech took a deep breath to continue his argument. The scent that clung about Velvet reminded him of a moonlight path. It took a moment to gather his thoughts. The villainess before him wasn't the only one to refine methods and work out problems. This time, he was ready for her shadow.

"But you forgot a part, Miss Velvet," Tech continued with an effort. He used the more formal 'Miss' designation on purpose, verbally setting a greater emotional distance between them. "Even if you do succeed in blinding me, my molecular regeneration will heal me. And I will stop you."

The villainess gritted her teeth, a scowl marring her velvety black countenance. If SHE had been endowed with a healing factor when the meteor struck, she would not now be blind or maimed. Subconsciously her bionic claw hand opened and closed. Tech's molecular regeneration was part of her hate of him . . . part of her fascination. And an integral aspect of her plan for his recapture. "That's where you're wrong, baby."

Quick as thought, Black Velvet darted into the broadcast studio's adjoining technical room. Throwing her cloak around herself to to guard against light leaks, she clicked her cybernetic hand into the aperture of her nearly completed Sight Razor to activate it. "Goodnight, Baby."

Surprisingly, Black Velvet found Tech's agonized howl as a corona of searing light enveloped the studio as hard to bear as the light contamination spilling in through the observation window. It was lucky that the reclusive genius did have molecular regeneration. He would need it to cure him of the whole body burns now charring him. As for his sight . . . when it was restored, she would just keep him in the dark. The Sight Razor inflicted too much damage now. She needed Tech to identify, calculate, and modulate the correct frequencies needed to only blind and filter out the other damaging properties. He would also run the machine for her as the light it emanated was too painful for her to endure for the extended time needed to blind all of Acmetropolis. The night lady counted slowly to ten then cut off the power, plunging both control room and broadcast studio back into darkness.

By the time Tech's molecular regeneration restored him, the coyote genius was cuffed, wrists and ankles, to either the same non-ferris table that Black Velvet had before the loss of her zeppelin, or its twin. The dark lady grabbed the coyote's muzzle to force eye contact. Tech groaned. Again? There were times when his 'distinguished profile' was a definite liability. It made too ready of a handle and the leverage was working against him. Holding his head immobile with her hand, Black Velvet used her bionic prosthesis to stripped the inventor of his night vision opticals. The coyote snarled. That lady had definite control issues. Without his night vision opticals, Tech rediscovered what he had known from his first encounter with the villainess. Though he could see nothing else in the pitch black room, Velvet's shadow-force softly lit the inside of her cape. It highlighted the seams and accessories of her clothing, as well as locks of her hair, her goggle eye mask, . . . her lips.

Like the first time they met, small packets of darkness bombarded the captive coyote's face. He struggled as again Velvet sought to bind his mind in her shadows. A smile softened her face. Through her own specially made night goggles, she saw the anthromorph's eyes take on the blank stare of one under the shadow curse. Eventually, she would have him without the compelling darkness, but for now, this would do.

The rending of metal cut through the air as Slam ripped open the sealed doors. Black velvet laughed. "Too late, Loonatics!"


	3. Chapter 3

Loonatics Unleashed:

"Goodnight, Baby. Good Morning, Hot Stuff." Part 3.

(This story is post "The World is My Circus.")

Rated T for Fluffiness.

Disclaimer: Loonatics Unleashed and related Characters and Elements are trademarks of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Yellow Triangle.

What Black Velvet's night goggles didn't show her was that instead of shadows blanking the coyote's eyes, it was the green glow of his power activating that swallowed them up. Tech stilled his mind, concentrating, then as rapidly as he could, an emerald glow enveloped one hand and he extracted a small, bi-prong probe from his utility belt and jimmied open the manacle at his wrist. He grabbed Velvet's cybernetic arm with his freed hand and forced it up and away from his face.

"Way ta go, Tech old pal!" Having finally defeated Black Velvet's shadow boys, Ace lead the rest of the team to the coyote's rescue. Rev located Tech with his internal GPS in no time and Slam pried the sealed studio doors apart. But when the yellow toned bunny saw Tech bound to the table with Black Velvet cursing him, the Loonatic leader had been afraid. He'd grabbed Danger hoping the mallard still had his annoying cell phone ring, but it looked like he wouldn't need it after all. All those mediation techniques he'd taught the coyote were paying off. Or maybe Tech had invented a mental shield of some sort. After this was all over, Ace decided he'd have to ask.

Danger tossed the Ninjizer 500 to Rev then quacked over onto the table, standing astride the still mostly bound coyote. He powered up his energy eggs, but Black Velvet fled into the control room.

Tech's hand still glowed green, magnetically enhancing his grip on Velvet's cybernetic arm. Disappointed that she no longer had a hold over his mind, the shadow lady released its couplings and fled, leaving the prosthesis in the coyote's hand. While Ace and Lexi blasted the cuffs from his ankles, Tech nearly jabbed his probe through his own wrist trying to open the last manacle in his haste to go after the dark lady. Tech snarled as he bounded after Velvet. "Oh no you don't. I'm not finished with you yet!"

"Tech, no!" Ace darted after the coyote, but tangled briefly with Lexi.

Rev had the Ninjizer 500 expanded out into its blaster rifle form and was firing at Black Velvet, but the dark villainess deflected his shots with her shadow reinforced cloak. The roadrunner had to cease fire to avoid hitting Tech when the coyote suddenly pushed through his teammates to race after her.

Tech hypothesized that Velvet used her bionic arm to activate her machine that had crisped him, but he wasn't sure. He couldn't risk her using the Sight Razor on his teammates. They didn't have regeneration as he did. Even though he did have his belt of inventions that could help in the event of accidental exposure, he didn't like having to rely on untested technology. Since his night vision opticals were gone, Tech kept his magnetism powered up on Velvet's prosthesis. Covered in his soft emerald glow, he held up the mechanical arm like a torch. He might not be able to see any of Velvet's shadow boys, but from the sounds of it, Slam was keeping any stragglers out of the broadcast studio. Between his own power signature glow and Black Velvet's shimmering shadow-force he could see well enough to stop her. He hoped.

"This is bad," Danger stated. "Very, very bad."

Alarm rippled through the Loonatics. What was with Tech that he was so intent on apprehending Black Velvet? Of course, she did take over his mind once before, but the genius should be smart enough not to go off alone on a personal vendetta.

"All righty gang. Let's go get our coyote." Ace's features firmed in a tight frown. "He's got something to learn. It don't take just one, it takes us all!"

As one, the Loonatics charged into the control room after their teammate and friend. They found Tech, rather unsuccessfully, trying to get between Black Velvet and some sort of devise made from the stolen Acme research laser modulator, and the Ultra Prism. The scientist was, however making himself enough of a nuisance that the dark lady was having trouble activating it. With a kick that made even Slam cringe, Black Velvet sent Tech cratering into the wall. The villainous took advantage of the Loonatics' distraction to try to fashion a workaround for her Sight Razor to compensate for the loss of her bionic hand.

"Tech!" Rev was over to his friend before he could fall to the floor.

Ace glanced at his two teammates, his enhanced vision taking in the details. Rev could take care of Tech, he decided. Ordering the rest of the team to attack, Ace lead the Loonatics on an assault of the equipment that Black Velvet was trying to patch into. If the dark lady wanted it, they couldn't afford to let her have it. Too many fighters around the delicate equipment caused a chain reaction in the Acme research laser modulator as a combination of Ace's laser vision, Lexi's brain blast, and Danger's eggs struck it. Slam managed to whirwind his teammates out of harm's way, but Black Velvet was caught in the feedback of her own machine. Tech dove in to shield her, taking the bolt himself and crumbling into a smoldering heap.

An emerald glow surrounded the pile of ash and soon their friend and teammate shakily stood before them. Tech whimpered. He didn't even like to think the number of times he'd had to whole body regenerate in the last few hours. He forgot his own pain when he saw Velvet's crumpled form. Even though he absorbed most of the blast, she'd been hit by fragments of the shattered prism. He worked rapidly to stem the blood loss, but many of the lacerations were deep and he feared internal damage as well. The scientist pulled his newest invention from his utility belt.

The coyote genius briefly displayed the gauntlet for his teammates to see before pulling it over his left hand and forearm. Despite the gravity of the situation, he was proud of his new baby; he just hoped it would perform up to his expectations. His new Retro-Regeneration Gauntlet was similar to the one he'd created to undo Otto the Odd's genetic manipulations back when the world was his circus. This one though, sported wicked looking attenuator spikes on the back of the hand and up the forearm casing. It also had two short cables which Tech connected into his two green power spots on his Loonatic uniform sleeve to power the device. "This is a Retro-Regeneration Gauntlet."

"In other words, a doohickey," Danger interjected.

"Huh. So what's it do?" Ace asked.

"This 'doohickey' . . ." Tech inclined his head toward Danger in acknowledgment. When the team first formed, Tech might have been annoyed at the waterfowl's flippancy, but now he understood it was just Danger's way of diffusing potentially hazardous stress levels in the group. Danger gave the coyote the thumbs up sign. " . . . activates a person's own latent regenerative processes by utilizing retrovirus technology to effect repairs on the cellular level. A retrovirus has no DNA, only RNA that splices into host DNA thus changing it. It doesn't take over the cell as does a normal virus, but simply 'reprograms' it. The cell then uses the new spliced genetic code."

"But-Tech,-a-lot-of-really-nasty-diseases-are-Retro-viruses. It's-not-just-the-virus-that's-the-concern,-but-also-the-DNA-that's-been-reprogrammed," Rev interjected. "Though-many-species-have-innate-regenerative-processes-like-starfish-that-regrow-missing-arms,-to-activate-that-same-process-that-lie-dormant-in-people-is-insanely-difficult-and-even-in-the-28th-century-has-not-met-with-great-success."

"Yes, the viral wars of the 26th century that nearly destroyed life on Acmetropolis were retroviruses, but if done responsibility, the proper application of RNA trascriptase enzyme and carefully engineered retrovirus can properly repair most damaged cells," Tech explained. He finished his preliminary scan of black Velvet and started programming his findings into the Retro-regenerator. "The really tricky part is resetting the cellular regeneration sequences. If we can successfully reset that number, the damaged cells will regenerate."

Rev nodded his understanding. "Normal-cells-have-a-set-number-of-times-that-they-can-renew. When-the-number-is-reached,-they-turn-off-and-then-the-cell-gets-old-and-dies. That's-the-trouble-with-most-cloning-efforts. Some-of-the-cloned-subjects-die-quickly-because-the-regeneration-numbers-weren't-reset. The-cells-they-cloned-from-were-already-nearly-'used up'-leaving-none-for-the-new-life-form. And-you-found-a-way-to-reset-the-regen-count?"

"Yes, I believe so." Tech had studied his own power mutated regeneration to come up with the needed clues.

Ace only understood about a fourth of what his two teammates were talking about. All he was really sure of was that the procedure hadn't really been done before and that it was potentially hazardous. And it was Black Velvet they were talking about. Even if Tech saved her, she could still be a very big threat. "But will it woik?"

"Hey, I'm brilliant, not omniscient." Concern and a rare doubt clouded Tech's eyes. Bio-engineering genetics was a new field for him. Pushing aside his hesitations, the scientist continued his set up calculations. He scanned Velvet's DNA, then analyzed it to see if he needed actual DNA grafts or if he could just activate the relevant sequences. Even that was insanely complicated. He wanted to stimulate the right number of fingers and not a third eye or anything. He programmed the correct injection formula into the Retro-regeneration Gauntlet. The device not only generated the reagent, but would also inject and regulate it. "I really would have liked to test this out before having to use it, but what choice do we have?"

"We could just take her ta da hospital, Tech." Ace studied the scientist, concerned again that the genius was taking this all too personally.

"No time. She would never survive the move." Tech finished his setup then took out a small, portable Steri-field generator. When he had suspected Black Velvet's plans to blind the populace, the genius had gathered the medical equipment to treat victims. Little had he thought that he would be using it on the villainess herself. "Okay, I need everyone out now so I can create a sterile environment in which to work. Any germ or virus could contaminate the genetic re-initiation."

"Na uh, Tech. I ain't leaving ya alone with Black Velvet." Ace firmly folded his arms across his chest.

"Chief! we're the Loonatics, not the Executioners. It isn't our goal to destroy Black Velvet, just to stop her." Tech's words came out a bit defensive, belying his sudden discomfort. Why was he so intent on saving Black Velvet? "Ace, her life signs are fading rapidly. You have to leave now, or she will die."

"And-you-really-trust-Black-Velvet? Once-you-heal-her,-Tech,-you'll-be-trapped-in-here-with-her-until-the-sterile-field-goes-down. And-she's-been-pretty-intent-on-getting-her-shadowed-mitts-on-you." Concern shown in Rev's wide, roadrunner eyes. "Is-this-really-wise?

"Probably not, but in this case trust doesn't matter. I have to do this; Velvet will die otherwise. Besides, the shield generator has a limited battery, I should be able to hold my own even if she regains consciousness." Tech smiled reassuringly at his hyper friend, before turning his attention back to his leader. "Now, chief, whatever happens, don't laser, brain blast, or power egg the Serti-field, it will only absorb the energy and become stronger. But don't worry. If something goes wrong, I'm sure Rev can get get it down."

Rev wasn't so sure, but he also knew his best friend couldn't ignore someone in need when he could do something about it. As they discussed earlier at breakfast, with his molecular regeneration, Tech wouldn't infect Black Velvet, but the rest of them might. Despite Ace's continued misgivings, at Tech's order Rev gathered up his teammates, hustling them out of the control room and back into the broadcast studio. The Loonatics clustered around the observation window. They watched as Tech activated a small Steri-field generator in the control room. The forcefield sterilized the area as it expanded to fill the room.

Tech knelt beside Black Velvet and flexed his Retro-regeneration Gauntlet. It activated, emitting a soft green glow not unlike his own molecular regeneration. The genius coyote actually had to run through two different processes. One that repaired the damaged existing tissue, and one that actively regenerated what had been lost. Velvet's wounds knit together. Not only her new injuries healed, but her old ones as well. The scaring on her eyes cleared and even her missing hand reformed. He sank down. His gauntlet tapped into his own powers and repairing the extensive damage drained him more than he anticipated. Normally such healing would take months, but Tech had learned much from his previous encounters with the near instant transformations of Zane's Fuz-Zs and Otto's galactic oddities. Tech was glad that Velvet was unconscious. He knew from personal experience how painful the accelerated process was.

"Good Morning, Hot Stuff." As Velvet regained consciousness, Tech slipped off her night vision goggles with a cocky grin. Terribly tired, Tech leaned back against the control desk. Barely mustering up enough energy to move, Tech tucked Velvet's goggles and cyborg glove into his utility belt for later study. The scientist suspected that the prosthesis only channeled her shadow powers, not generated them, but he was still curious. He brought up the lights little by little so the night lady's newly healed eyes could adjust.

"But how?" Velvet asked, wonder evident in her echoing voice. "And more importantly, why?"

"How, is with this." Absolutely delighted to show off his new baby despite the terrible drain it caused him, Tech held up his arm displaying the Retro-Regeneration Gauntlet. Hmm. Tech mentally compared his baby against Velvet's destructive Sight Razor. Now that she was restored, maybe she could turn her technical talents to benefiting others. He considered renaming his invention. Tech smiled broadly. "I'm thinking of calling it the Sight Raiser. As for why," the coyote scientist shrugged, "it's what heroes do. We give back instead of take away."

Tech watched Velvet rediscover the delight of sight, nearly as delighted himself as she was. He found her fascinating and wished to study her powers. When he mentioned this, however, Velvet's mouth tightened into a tiny frown and she muttered something about that not being very romantic. Tech tilted his head and one ear drooped. Had he offended her?

Black Velvet smiled again as she took in Tech's rugged features, his Loonatic costume and green fur with her native vision. The colors and detail were so vibrant, so invigorating! even in the drab control room. Her appearance remained unchanged; her eyes still silvery black, her skin still velvet night, but for the first time since the meteor crash the light didn't hurt. Velvet reached out to touch the anthromorph's fur with her restored hand . . . and shadow cursed him. Long streamers of shadow-force flowed from her, concentrated and amplified by the inner lining of her cape, to entwine the exhausted coyote and force him to her will. Without her bionic arm to refine her power, her blast drove him to the ground. In her raw power and his weakened state, Tech stood no chance against her.

Black Velvet's smile widened. She ran the fingers of her newly regenerated hand down the coyote's face fur and brought him to his feet before her. Her cape mantled them both in shadow. The rest of the Loonatics would be through the genius' barrier all too soon, but at least for a while, Tech was under her influence again. "Hold me, baby, as passionately as you invent."


	4. Chapter 4

Loonatics Unleashed:

"Goodnight, Baby. Good Morning, Hot Stuff." Part 4.

(This story is post "The World is My Circus.")

Rated T for Fluffiness.

Disclaimer: Loonatics Unleashed and related Characters and Elements are trademarks of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Yellow Triangle.

"Tune in yer ears, Lex, NOW!" Ace ordered. "We hafta know what that shadow witch is doing to Tech!"

"Well, I think that's pretty obvious." Danger Duck peered into the control room, leaning against the observation window with his palms and beak plastered against it. The mallard was taken aback by the scene assaulting his startled blue eyes. Danger's jaw dropped. He never realized what an animal the coyote was.

"Gblaa kkrrn gblaa jealous?" Slam's crimson eyes darted between Danger and the mind controlled coyote with the villainess in the next room.

"Yeah . . . I mean no! of course not." Danger pulled away from the window, but his azure eyes kept drawing back to it. His hand dropped to his inverted orange triangle where he had secreted his newly acquired autographed photo of Misty Breeze. The most he'd gotten from his dream girl was a slap when he tried to collect a kiss for saving her. "What? Jealous, moi? Ridiculous. As if Danger Duck would ever be jealous of a techno-geek!"

"Uh huh. Then why're ya drooling?" Ace cut in. Though he did admit that Black Velvet was one hot piece of work, if all involved didn't willingly consent, it was abuse. And it was wrong. Ace felt his eyes heat up, but he remembered Tech's warning about blasting the forcefield.

"Can it, guys," Lexi irritably snapped. "I'm trying to hear. This could be serious."

"Man-I-just-knew-she'd-pull-something-like-this. Tech-should-never-have-trusted-Black-Velvet!" Rev spat, angry that anyone would presume to steal away Tech's mind. Rev ran in a panic for a few turns around the studio room before getting a grip on himself. Determination set in his wide, emerald eyes. He had to rescue his friend! "Okay,-I-know-I'm-not-the-genius-that-Tech-is,-but-what-would-HE-do? Think,-think,-think,-think. Tech's-Steri-Field-barrier-is-energy. Energy-can't-be-created-or-destroyed,-but-it-can-be-converted-or . . .. Oh-of-course! It-can-be-diverted!"

Rev took off again trailing a red stream behind him, but this time instead of panicking, the speedster grabbed cables and equipment from the broadcasting station and rapidly cobbled together an energy-sink to drain the Steri-Field and bring it down faster.

While Rev feverishly worked on draining his buddy's invention, Slam's eyes glowed violet and he spun up his tornado to bash his way into the control room. The Tasmanian devil smashed into the observation window, but only succeeded in cracking the thermoplastic. A couple more strikes removed the window, but the energy field, though starting to spark and fluctuate, still held.

Green Triangle.

The coyote's brush wrapped itself around their legs as Tech dipped Velvet, holding her arched form against him and nuzzling into her sweet scent. His green glow expanded, embracing them both even as Black Velvet's shadow-force cloaked them in black light. Black Velvet slowly withdrew her shadow-force, removing all trace and hint of shadow from the genuis' mind.

The emerald lingered for several moments longer, then Tech released her and stepped back. He had trouble regulating his breathing. "Why did you make me do that?"

"Because, baby, I knew you never would never otherwise." The corner of Velvet's mouth twitched up. "And I wanted to thank you for restoring me."

Tech once again pulled the dark lady close and flicked her nose with the tip of his tongue. Black Velvet gasped, breathing in the anthromorph's faint musk. Tech's voluntary coyote kiss was very alluring . . . much more so than when he was forced into it. Black Velvet sighed sadly. "I finally get my vision back and now the only thing I'll be able to see is bars."

Even with 28th century technology, Acmetropolis didn't punish thought crimes. Black Velvet didn't actually engulf the world in darkness before, nor had she blinded anyone now . . . well, except for him but he recovered. In fact, he was the only one that even knew of her most recent plan. Also, knowing Ace's dislike of paperwork, Tech doubted that a very complete report was filed for her first offense. The chief was less of a details guy and more a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants guy. The only thing Black Velvet was really guilty of was breaking and entering, and theft. She'd perhaps spend time in prison, but certainly not a life sentence. Tech spoke none of this aloud. Sometimes courts were devilishly tricky and really he had no real idea how the trial would go.

The coyote shook his head at the 'involuntary emotional response' coursing through him; he realized that not all of his feelings for Velvet were forced by the shadow curse. As the shield went down and the rest of the Lunatics rushed in, Tech leaned in close. His olive eyes glowed a soft emerald and metallic handcuffs rose to link her wrists. "I'll visit you in prison," he whispered.

"Down boy." The first one in after the barrier went down, Lexi pushed her way in between Tech and Black Velvet. She'd heard what went on between the two. Small pink rings of energy walked up the bunny's long ears. She could also hear Tech's pulse pounding through his veins. "I'll handle her from here."

While Lexi escorted Black Velvet out to the police, the guys crowded around Tech . . . just to make sure he was okay, of course. Rev cocked his head, studying his friend. Ace folded his arms across his chest, the fingers of one hand drumming on his opposite arm. It seemed that what went on between Tech and Black Velvet wasn't one sided after all. "Well, that's one way to ensure getting a date."

"Sooo, Techy," Danger smirked wickedly at the reclusive scientist. Though he fained nonchalance, a slight jealousy tinged the mallard's voice. "I didn't know your magnetic powers extended to hot villainesses."

Annoyed, Tech growled, but he was unsure if his anger was at Danger, Black Velvet, . . . or at himself. What was wrong with him that he only seemed to attract losers! "What? Do I have a sign on my forehead that says 'antisocial psychopathic megalomaniacs apply here' or something?"

"Nah,-it's-just-that-the-only-place-you-mingle-is-out-on-the-battlefield. You-really-need-to-get-out-more," Rev cut in. "And-I-mean-to-places-where-you're-more-likely-to-meet-someone-your-type."

Slam nudged the scientist, breaking into his consternation and nearly knocking the slight coyote over. The devil grinned knowingly. "Ppptttt gblaa gblaa it like?"

"What was it like?" Tech echoed, slightly confused. Slowly catching on to the sly looks his friends were casting at him, the coyote felt his cheeks burn.

"Kissing-shadow?" Rev asked.

"Embracing the night?" Danger suggested.

"And howling at da moon as it rises over da skyline," Ace concluded.

"Hey, hey, hey. I don't have Rev's speed." Tech protested, but then a slight smirk belied his chagrin. "We didn't have time to get that far."

"Yeoooowch!" A jagged bolt, like pink lightning, cut through propelling Ace two feet into the air. The yellow bunny landed moments later rubbing his cotton tail.

Startled, the guys looked up to see Lexi's ears still haloed in rosy rings of psionic power. First out in the studio, and now here. She clunked Duck's and Slam's heads together before pushing through them to get at Tech.

"Rule number one:" Lexi said with exaggerated clarity. Wide eyed, Tech and Rev stumbled back from the onslaught of feminine fury. The pink toned bunny whapped the two of them upside their heads. She didn't care if it was the nice girl next door or super villainess. "NEVER play kiss and tell."


End file.
